Growing Potatoes In Containers

[farmer giles]

Hi, Im new to all this and would really appreciate any advice you have, Id like to know what soil is best to use and at what ratio and also what is best to mix it with?

many thanks

[smeagal]

I use a mix of last years growbags and miraclegrow with water crystals.
It looks like I have a good crop of earlies this year

[Alison_Kristina]

Never heard of water crystals before. Just looked and found this: Water Crystals for Healthy Plants & Crafts

On ebay there's a 1kg tub for £18. sounds quite expensive?

Back to the pots though. What type of container are you going to use?

Ali.

[donnac1968]

I am a completely new vegetable gardener and sent off for some free seed potatoes from a magazine which came with one of those potato growing bags. I used multipurpose compost to half fill the bag and put in the potatoes once they had chitted (in April). I topped up the compost each time the shoots started to emerge until the bag was full and now the plants are about 2 ft tall above the surface of the soil. There are tiny flower buds just developing and I understand that you can harvest when they start flowering (is that correct?). Anyway, I haven't harvested yet so there may not even be any potatoes in there, but its looking good from the top anyway!
Donna

[tweacle]

I would leave them until the plant dying down to get full size out of the spuds.

[donnac1968]

Could I have a little dig down and a sneek peek?

[johnmichael]

Originally Posted by donnac1968

I am a completely new vegetable gardener and sent off for some free seed potatoes from a magazine which came with one of those potato growing bags. I used multipurpose compost to half fill the bag and put in the potatoes once they had chitted (in April). I topped up the compost each time the shoots started to emerge until the bag was full and now the plants are about 2 ft tall above the surface of the soil. There are tiny flower buds just developing and I understand that you can harvest when they start flowering (is that correct?). Anyway, I haven't harvested yet so there may not even be any potatoes in there, but its looking good from the top anyway!
Donna

Give them at least a gallon of water mixed with half strength tomato feed 3 times a week,do not water over foilage as this encourages blight.Ensure adequate drain holes in bag,harvest 2 weeks after flowering has finished at earliest.

[johnmichael]

Originally Posted by donnac1968

Could I have a little dig down and a sneek peek?

You might find spuds about marble size at this stage.

[donnac1968]

Ok thanks, I'll be patient!!

[claire2965]

i am new to gardening to and have grown potatoes in grow bags, some went in my ton bags too. the ton bag ones have just been pulled up and found a mixture ofmarble to medium sized spuds. will wait a bit longer before pulling anymore up tho.. i feel up the side of the bags to feel for some spuds. also if you lk at the sides of the bag you should see some bulges but not many.